Do you have a pest problem in your cabbage bed? There are little critters that also tend to go after other brassica plants as well, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and more. The 1-2" flying bugs look so innocent. I could not get a photo because they move so fast! They are little white butterflies with some blackish spots on them. There is also a cabbage moth which isn't quite as cute. So far, I've only seen the butterflies. They lay the eggs on the underside of the … [Read more...] about Cabbage Pest Deterrent
Permaculture
Earth Day Every Day
Happy Earth Day! Every day should be Earth Day, don't you think? As much as I feel I am contributing, I feel as though I continue to fall short. There is always so much more I can do. Having taken the Permaculture class with Joel really opened our eyes. We thought we were doing so many of the "right things," and yet.... One of our guest instructors asked us what was one thing we were struggling with. The first thing that popped into my head was, "paper." Said instructor … [Read more...] about Earth Day Every Day
Winter Gardening Failure?
You know how, when fall turns to winter, we get excited about snowflakes, holidays, and all things scented cinnamon? When we envision cozying up to a fireplace with our dog, cat, or human, looking out the window admiringly? As we sigh at it's beauty, we forget how long we have this season! Our cold season can start as early as September, with dropping night temperatures happening as early as August. Some years, we've gotten snow well into May, with frosts even in early June! Thermal … [Read more...] about Winter Gardening Failure?
The Last Move
This will be our fourth move in four years. Yes, that's right. Four years ago, someone was interested in our family home in the suburbs, and since all of our children had finished school, we decided to listen to their offer. It turned out to be one of our best decisions. You see, we'd been dreaming of the opportunity to move up to our 1850's farmhouse full-time, and this was helping us inch closer to our dream. The dream helped us set a goal, and with that goal, we began to make … [Read more...] about The Last Move
Daylilies! Multipurpose Heroes in Sustainable Gardening
Every year we look forward to the glorious display the daylilies make in July. They are truly spectacular. Our orange daylilies(Hemerocallis fulva) grow to between three and four feet tall, and the flowers get to be between 3 and 5 inches in size. There are many other varieties of daylilies and their sizes vary as much as eight inches to five feet, with flowers ranging from 2 to 8 inches. Daylilies, can sometimes be afflicted by pests or diseases, but are rarely bothered by them. They are … [Read more...] about Daylilies! Multipurpose Heroes in Sustainable Gardening